


A Sorcerer to Protect Him

by Emrys MK (mk_malfoy)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Era, Conflicted Uther, M/M, Missing Scene, POV Uther Pendragon, Protective Uther, a result of Merlin Chat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 13:44:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11715594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mk_malfoy/pseuds/Emrys%20MK
Summary: What was the real reason behind Uther making Merlin his son's servant?





	A Sorcerer to Protect Him

**Author's Note:**

> Yesterday, at Merlin re-watch, where we watched _The Last Dragonlord_ , Clea made a comment about the scene where Uther is standing at the window, watching his son and Merlin returning from defeating the great dragon. She typed the following: _I'll just hide behind the window because I'm not supposed to know I gave my son a sorcerer to protect him._ When I saw her comment I was immediately enamoured with this idea and wanted to read fic about it. I didn't look much but when I couldn't find anything I decided to write fic to sate my need for this. So, here it is.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

“I have matters to attend to in Essetir, Arthur,” Uther said, a tinge of exasperation in his voice as his son stood before him, anger pouring off of him like the waterfall that one passed through to get to the Tomb of Ashkanar. “Whatever you and Merlin wish to tell me can surely wait. We shall have dinner in my chambers upon my return. You and Merlin will join me. Now, I must be on my way,” he added, putting an end to this discussion, for the time being. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to table it forever.

Arthur took his leave after making it clear that he was not at all happy, but Uther was more than familiar with such; he was King of Camelot, after all, not one of his subjects who needed to be in other’s good graces in order for them to help harvest a crop.

He donned the necklace he’d worn every day since his beloved had met her untimely death, and was opening his door to leave when there was a knock at the servant’s entrance. Morris was in the stables, preparing his mount, thus Uther was somewhat unsettled. He debated what to do. He should call for the guards, but there was a niggling at the back of his mind that told him not to, that he needed to deal with this himself.

And when he opened the door, he was pleased that he _hadn’t_ involved anyone else; it would have been rather a difficult task to explain what his son’s servant boy was doing asking entrance into the king’s chambers.

“Merlin,” Uther said, resigned. As much as he’d hoped to get away from Camelot without any further complications, he’d fully expected this. From the first, the boy had been a thorn in Uther’s side. “As you well know, I am to leave for Essetir this morning, so whatever you have to say, make it quick.” Merlin’s blank expression became murderous. Uther turned and motioned for his son’s serving boy to follow him. “You have until the candle burns out, so out with it.” He sat at the table and watched as Merlin took the seat across from him.

The boy looked every bit as scrawny and useless as he’d appeared that day several months past, but Uther knew more than anyone how deceptive looks could be. He was well aware of just how much power the boy wielded. It was Merlin’s magic, after all, that had him residing within the walls of Camelot.

“Just because you do not want your son and I to be together will not make it so, Sire. I made you a promise to protect Arthur with my life if need be, and I haven’t hedged on that. Whom he chooses to be with was not a part of the agreement you made with me.” Merlin’s expression again changed, now challenging his master’s father to counteract that statement.

Uther chuckled. He was up to the task. The boy was most definitely delusional. Who did he think he was speaking with? “I beg to differ, Merlin. You work for my son. What he does with you is his business _until it impedes on the day-to-day functioning of my kingdom_. Everyone employed in the Royal Household knows that the rules are stringent and that they can be dismissed at any time for no reason at all. Everything within the walls of Camelot is my responsibility. If I think something is amiss, it is my responsibility to see to a solution. I take that seriously.”

Merlin responded by placing both hands on the table and standing. “Yet you spared my life. What would your subjects say of that? You allowed a sorcerer to live amongst everyone, including your son. And you did it for selfish reasons, even though it was against the law. So why the sudden want for propriety? Why not allow your son his happiness? Who will it hurt?” Merlin rolled his eyes and sighed rather heartily before returning to his chair.

Uther was sorely tempted to call for the guards and have the whelp sent to the cells. How dare the boy throw what he had done in his face. “You are a serving boy who just so happens to have magic. Rather than have you executed, as I was prepared to do, I gave you clemency by giving you to my son to protect him. That is the extent of our agreement. You do not get to have my son as your own. You are his, but he will most certainly never be yours.” Uther felt quite pleased with his words but was disquieted to see that Merlin did not look the least bit cowed. In fact, he looked ready to argue for as long as it took to get his way. Uther inwardly sighed. He knew just how formidable the boy was.

“Do not think for one moment that I do not understand what could have happened to me, Sire. I am grateful for what you did, but you surely can’t expect to delineate your son’s every move. Arthur has a right to make his own decisions about whom he chooses to spend his life with. Yes, if you wanted to you could banish me—send me away to some far off land where there would be no hope of Arthur and I ever seeing one another again—but I don’t think that’s what you want to do. You know that your son would hate you if you did that.

“He respects you, Uther, more than he should. He looks up to you as any father could hope their son would. I never knew my father when I was growing up. To have what Arthur has in you I would have moved mountains if it would have given me my father. Please do not push him away.”

The father in Uther heard what Merlin said and was tempted to agree. Even if he didn’t at all approve of his son and Merlin spending their nights together, he knew it wasn’t his place to dictate who was and wasn’t appropriate. 

Unfortunately, the king that Uther was would always trump his role as father. Perhaps that wasn’t right—of course it wasn’t, who was Uther kidding—but that was how it was.

“My son will get over you in time, Merlin. He is young yet; he doesn’t have the slightest clue what true love is. You have done your job admirably and I thank you for it, but now your time here has come to an end. I want you gone when I return.” Uther swallowed, knowing deep down that he had perhaps just sealed his son’s hatred of him. It gave the father pause, but the king in him was resolute. “If you are caught within the walls of Camelot after tomorrow you will be executed on the spot. Understood?”

Merlin shook his head and wiped away a tear that had begun to fall. He seemed to be going through a myriad of emotions. Uther felt for him, he really did, but his kingdom came first. Uther wouldn’t live forever. He needed to assure his subjects that the future of Camelot wasn’t in doubt. To do that, his son would have to one day marry someone who could give Camelot a future king.

Standing, he looked down at the tiny flame that was about to be deprived of its source of life. “Your time is up, Merlin, so please take your leave,” he said looking over at the boy, practically begging him to not drag this out any longer. Uther wasn’t sure how much longer his resolve would hold out.

Merlin slowly stood and walked towards the door, but as he went to open it, he turned and faced Uther, tears streaming down his face. “I love your son, Sire. I didn’t want to, but I do. When I first met Arthur, he represented everything I was against, but over time I got to know him. Had I never opened my eyes, heart, and mind to accept something into my life that was so very foreign and against my better judgement, I’d be a far poorer person today. Your son has opened my eyes and he has made me a better person. Perhaps I have also done that for him as well. Thank you for that,” and with those words said, Merlin opened the door and was gone like the wind.

Uther stared at the door and swallowed down the lump before he closed his eyes.

He’d very nearly had Merlin suffer the same fate as Thomas Collins when he’d discovered the boy had magic, but after he had saved Arthur at the banquet, Uther had decided that his son, who had recently been getting himself into reckless situations, needed someone to look after him, and who better than someone who had magic.

Uther had known he was playing with fire and he had even known that it would probably all end rather badly, but as it was a good solution at the time, he’d gone with it.

But never had he imagined that his son would fall for the boy. Yes, Uther had known that his son tended to favour the boys over the girls, but there were bound to be others like him of his same class. Why had Arthur allowed himself to fall for a peasant boy?

Yet he had.

Uther opened his eyes and ran his hands over his face. 

He missed his wife on a daily basis, but at moments like these, when he felt not at all up to the task of being a father, he longed to have Ygraine by his side, telling him what he should do. “What should I do, love? I don’t want to lose my son, but I have a duty as king to ensure the future of Camelot, don’t I?”

Something made a noise. Uther turned towards the window to see what it was.

It was a Merlin.

And it was an answer.

Uther again ran his hands over his face. He had lost his wife. He would not lose his son as well.


End file.
